What is Digg?62 Comments
- pdizz, on 07/25/2008, -0/+16This is awful. I grew up in the mountains of Colorado my whole life and have watched endless pine forests turn brown and die. The natural result (and cure) for this historically has been large scale forest fire which gets rid of the dry dead trees and fertilizes the soil for new growth. Unfortunately these areas are now filled with multi-million dollar homes and people are doing whatever they can to avoid this.
- douce2, on 07/25/2008, -1/+16It's here in Canada too. The little bugs are a menace and I hope they can be stopped soon. I'm digging this for awareness, and I hope you do too.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2006/07/04/ ... - CosmicJustice, on 07/25/2008, -0/+15Exactly. Logging and/or forest fires keep a forest healthy by thinning it and opening the canopy so new seedlings can grow. In our wisdom we have both stopped logging and put out small fires. The result, particularly in California, is that the undergrowth and deadwood become a tinder box and you get massive unstoppable fires that sweep across a landscape with no natural firebreaks. The same thing happens with parasites and diseases. Without clearings they can jump tree to tree for hundreds of miles. Everyone can now digg this comment down because it doesn't comply with Disney fairytale views of what nature is and how it works.
- inactive, on 07/25/2008, -1/+10Guys...this is just nature. Soon with the decreasing numbers of bugs because of lack of food, the trees should make a resurgence.(By soon I mean 50-100 years.) Then the cycle starts again.
Trees have their parasites just like we do. - kihrocephalus, on 07/25/2008, -3/+9Dear Humans,
Pay attention. Underlying significance in this article. - stanleyford, on 07/25/2008, -0/+6Because then you end up with a whole situation where you have gorillas freezing to death in the middle of winter. It's not pretty. Trust me.
- TeraRealm256, on 07/25/2008, -0/+6it sucks to see this happen and make a landscape unattractive.
I go on an annual hike to Mt. LeConte in TN(i live in Atlanta), where the pine beetle has hit in the past. It's at least nice to see the pines getting full again over the years making the mountain look that much more breathtaking. - Tanktunker, on 07/25/2008, -1/+6We don't do first here.
- arichard, on 07/25/2008, -0/+5There is a bug problem in the Great Smoky Mountains (yes, that is the proper spelling), too. Kills the scenery.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/hemlock-wool ...
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/smokies/archives/dea ... - floorman56, on 07/25/2008, -2/+7We have them here in the Black Hills too. The only cure is to cut down the tree ...and every pine 20 ft around it and prevention requires to thin the forest because over crowded forest stress trees.
But guess who stopped that...... - tao52nyc, on 07/25/2008, -1/+6This is the fault of the eco-extremists, and their obsession for "old growth" - couldn't help but notice the comment that aggressive fire suppression and other protective measures add up to a lot of 80+ year-old trees which are particularly "vulnerable" to this bug. And now bird species are nesting in the dead trees - watch the fun as the eco-extremists lobby to prevent selective burns needed to protect the remaining live trees.
- SpacePoet, on 07/25/2008, -0/+4With the warmer winter temps they are surviving through them and entire colonies are adapting to eat more trees at higher latitudes and tree variety. they don't usually wipe themselves out because winter did it for them, now that it's changing, so will they.
- RealmDown, on 07/25/2008, -0/+4Front page with 0 - 5 comments is now common.
The algorithm is beta testing the "I feel lucky" - kinerry, on 07/25/2008, -1/+4good, because that wasn't even remotely funny
- SpacePoet, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3This is just nature, with a little help of warm winters. And now that the bugs have had a chance to live a few years without huge wipe outs from winter freezing their colonies will grow and they will start adapting and eating new species of trees, which the article states is starting to happening.
- Yatata, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3they're all over BC's forests, you can see the devastation on google earth. Driving through the interior is pretty emotional.
- DestroyFascism, on 07/25/2008, -1/+4So why don't you........
- tcpip4lyfe, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3They introduced the Japanese beetle here in Iowa to combat some sort of other bug and now you can't open your windows in august because there are millions of this ***** things that look like lady bugs flying around. They don't have any natural predators around here so they just keep getting more and more out of control. They smell bad when you squish them and they bite. Stupid farmers.
- reddikilowatt, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3http://flickr.com/photos/n3kqx/
Lots of beetlekill in my pictures around Grand County.
It's nice to see that now that the millionaires are being impacted someone's paying attention. The beetles are usually killed when the temps hit -20F (highs) for about a week. That hasn't happened for a few years now. It also happened during a drought, so the trees are too weak to defend themselves. The beetles also carry a fungus that actually is what kills the tree. Young trees are better able to cope with the infection, but now are being overwhelmed.
OF course, responsible logging and letting some fires burn is a much better (but unpopular) solution. - hawkspur, on 07/25/2008, -0/+3As one who has visited Beaver Creek on occasion, it truly is beautiful. All the old forests around the region are. Stupid beetles.
- iJessicaRabbit, on 07/25/2008, -1/+3The article it mentions that in the past this method worked but that these beetles will eat just about anything and everything they come across. Shifting weather patters do not help either.
- mrswirl, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2"Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw." - majordanger, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2Great pics RdyKW,
I always like your diggs.
majordanger
http://flickr.com/photos/cliffsnotesandpics/ - cboj, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2I went camping in Utah's Uintah mountains last weekend and met a biologist up there working on the beetle problem there. He said while it did look bad, in reality it was a natural process, The "good" thing was that as the Lodgepole pines died they opened up the canopy to allow light to reach the Spruce and Aspen trees trying to grow beneath them. The forest will change but in 100 years it will be back, just different than today
It's just change, it may look bad for the few years we are here on earth, but for the lifetime of the forest (100's of years) its natural and needed.
He also talked about the need for fire for about the same reason, with no fire many plants and trees do not reproduce or get a chance to grow - DestroyFascism, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2I am no expert on Canadian Forrest's but at least in Australia, controlled burning benefits greatly. Every 20 years or so and the number of species per meter doubles if not triples. But once again Australian species are dependent on chemicals in smoke water for regeneration. The Trees themselves don't suffer at all unless it gets too hot. (Though finding a dead tree stump hollowed out and as big as a single car garage....) I would imagine Canadian forest pines are similar to West Coast US pines in that small, cooler fires in particular seasons can produce more benefit both for harvesters and general ecology. But that I have to say is an assumption partly based on Californian forest information I have, a vastly different climate but similar genetics just the same.
- theradical, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2After I read the title I thought it was just one little ingenious bug they were fighting. How disappointing.
- Taiyoryu, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2Fire suppression as a part of managing forests goes in the face of forest ecology. In fact, many species depend on fires in order to reproduce. Thankfully, today's forest managers realize this, but that doesn't undo the decades of forest suppression enacted by their predecessors.
- pyry, on 07/25/2008, -0/+2Well, they'll have a fire soon anyway, what with all that dead wood lying around.
- TheImaginator, on 07/25/2008, -2/+3There must be birds, lizards, rodents, frogs/toads, and even other insects which could eat the beetle and keep it's numbers down - why not introduce them?
- reddikilowatt, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1Most of the land that is around the ski areas is US forest service land, not privately owned. Many of the private land owners and developments spray their trees. The local municipalities are starting to require homeowners to cut down the dead trees to help get rid of the fire danger. The big problem is that if your land is adjacent to forest service land, you don't have much stopping the fire from getting to you (and even though the local forest service wants to let small fires burn, it doesn't get any support from Washington... Or so I've heard).
- h0ser, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1this is more of a natural occurance. The bugs didn't originate in this area, but they are taking the job of what forest fires would usually do. The bugs are incapable of burrowing into younger trees and planting their eggs. Human means have saved forests for a long time, but some of these forested areas were suppoesd to burn. Forest fires are actually good for the forest (assuming it doesn't burn the whole thing down). The land becomes more fertile afterwards and it gives a chance to burn away all the dead and dry wood/bushes. Many of the seeds that trees have aren't released into the soil until it's burnt down. The forest will naturally renew itself if we let it happen naturally.
- fullcircle, on 07/25/2008, -1/+2At least Beaver Creek has got great snow!
- inactive, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1Now is the time for deforestation. Cut the dead trees and saw it into lumber. A simple solution. many places in the mountains have too many trees because of fire prevention. Now nature will win.
- JimSwarthow, on 07/25/2008, -5/+6somehow, some way this has to be Bush's fault.
- TreatsTheBear, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1It is opening up a lot of awesome tree skiing...
- rcp5029, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1I saw this first hand when I was in Colorado last summer. While it's certainly a course of nature, it's sad to see such natural beauty being destroyed by a bug. It's become so widespread in part because there is so much effort to prevent wildfires from spreading, because God forbid all those stuffed shirts lose their multi-million dollar winter homes and ski lodges. In a way, I'm glad it's happening, because I realize it's nature's way of restoring things to a harmonic balance.
- inactive, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1It is also in New Mexico too. But in New Mexico it is hitting the pinon trees.
- reddikilowatt, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1Woodpeckers seem to like them.
- inactive, on 07/25/2008, -2/+3And a nice landing strip.
- wishninja, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1Hate to inject any type of reason into your right wing ani-environmental stroke fest but your so ***** wrong. THe beetle is moving down from Canada where they have never had an extensive selective burning program. Also Selective burning is a pretty new program as far as things like evolution of a beetle are concerned.
The forest was there long long before anyone was out there selectively burning anything. So wouldn't the beetle have taken over the old growth at that time?.. like before humans discovered fire?
So either are you claiming that some how this beetle evolved during the 30 or so years that selective burning and wholesale logging was being used. Then the "eco-extremists" took over our government and forced a complete halt to the deforestation setting the stage for the newly evolved beetle that evolved in hippy environmental Canada then to take over?
Or the right wing god sent the beetle to punish the USA and Canada for listening to "eco-extremists" and possibly for homosexuality and the brimstone will soon follow?
which is it? - inactive, on 07/28/2008, -0/+1Solution: Forest fires. I don't think these little bastards are fire proof are they?
If an area is affected, burn it all.
At least we might have a chance to clear the dead wood, and provide fertile land for a new forest to grow on. - meekamoo, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1Except 'lack of food' means no more trees. That's not really a situation we would like.
- ninepointfive, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1Actually its more like: stupid humans.
For putting out fires which thin the forests out naturally. Now we pay the consequence. - meekamoo, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1hahaha yes ***** them!
- obliviousfool, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1I've been reading about the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. That one seems like it is going to be really tough to get rid of. The worst part about that is that it is killing the oldest and tallest trees east of the Mississippi. Mature hemlocks are like whole ecosystems. Other trees just don't provide the same kind of niche.
- wishninja, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1after reasearching I change my mind bury me I suck coxs
- rainydaywoman, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1That beetle has destroyed most of BC's forests. It's really depressing
- wishninja, on 07/26/2008, -0/+1or this is a natural occurrence...
that happens when there is drought or many years of mild winter.
"During the severe drought in the 1920’s and 1930’s, losses up to 60 to 90 percent of the ponderosa pine forest on extensive areas were recorded. "
"An outbreak of the mountain pine beetle from 1894 to 1908 in ponderosa pine in the Black Hills of South Dakota first called public attention to the extensive killing by bark beetles in the West. Between 1 and 2 billion fbm of pine were killed in that early outbreak. Since then many other outbreaks of the mountain pine beetle have occurred. Among the most noteworthy were the Kaibab, Ariz., outbreak of 1917 to 1926 that killed 300 million fbm of ponderosa pine and the series of outbreaks from 1925 to 1935 in Idaho and Montana that killed more than 7 billion fbm of lodgepole pine and vast numbers of whitebark pine. Western white pine in Idaho and sugar pine in California have repeatedly suffered heavy losses caused by this beetle. Somewhere in the West it is epidemic almost continually in one or more of its principal hosts."
this stuff happens all the time I think humans have little direct influence. - DestroyFascism, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1The longer you leave it the harder it gets...
- wishninja, on 07/25/2008, -0/+1but ***** it the gas prices are high, drill more oil, mine more coal. We had better get used to these things disappearing mass extinctions have already been predicted since like the 1990's people of the world didn't really give a *****. Other trees will grow in their place or desert cactus or shrubs of something. Lets all shed our tears now so the apathy can again return.
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